Broken
by VerityFrancesB
Summary: Jen's in trouble. Jibbs, for Ellie.
1. The Directors in Trouble

_For Ellie who requested a role reversal of Time. _

* * *

The man in the middle of the road was the last thing she remembered seeing. The screech of tires against tarmac was the last thing she remembered hearing. Her head hitting the window with enough force to knock her out was the last thing she remembered feeling before the car flew through the air, twisting, and landing, with the screaming sound of metal grinding against metal, upside down in the ditch on the side of the lonely road.

The heavy rain hammered against the underside of the car and seeped in through the cracked windshield. It was the water that crept up around her head that eventually roused her from oblivion. She gasped, trying to pull oxygen into her bruised lungs, the seatbelt uncomfortable tight around her chest.

Somehow she managed to undo the seatbelt and fell into the sunroof of the broken car. Her back hit the roof too hard , her side arm digging painfully into her side, and she cried out in pain as she tried to move, her arm throbbing.

The smell of gasoline filled her nostrils and she knew she had to get out of the car. She carefully turned around, squeezing herself through the windshield of the car, clawing at the wet earth of the ditch. She hauled herself out and sat shaking at the side of the road.

She checked her pockets for her cell phone, trying to remember if she left it in her pocket or in the car. She pulled her cell phone out and cradling her arm, which she assumed was broken, she tried to stand.

The sharp stab of pain, which burned through her leg, up into her stomach, made her fall to the ground, once again dragging lungfuls of oxygen in.

Her head pounded and she pushed the heal of her hand into her temple, trying to steam the bleeding and the pain.

She opened her cell phone, her eyes flicking to the tree line as she caught movement in the darkness. She squinted, trying to tell if it was the wind or her concussed brain. She looked back down at her cell phone, closing her eyes as another wave of pain hit her.

The hiss of a flare echoed over head and she automatically dived for cover, hiding beneath a bush, knowing that if whoever it was, was looking for her, they would be calling out her name, also knowing that there was no way help would have got there so fast.

A man emerged from the tree line and made his way over to the ditch. He looked down at the car as she held her breath, hoping that the bush would hide her. She pressed speed dial one just as the man lit a match and threw it onto the crumpled metal heap that used to be her car. The call connected just as the car exploded. She prayed her whisper before oblivion took her wouldn't be carried on the wind to the man who had just destroyed her car.

"Jethro…"

* * *

"Will this rain never end?" Tony looked out of the window, squinted through the weather. "I had plans this weekend." Ziva stood next to him, and she turned to look at him.

"You always have plans, no?" She asked, enjoying the way his eyes lit up.

"Of course, with a face like mine, Zee-vah, its difficult _not _getting a date." He lurched forward and his forehead hit the window. "Boss…ok, first...OW, and second, what was that for?" He whined at Gibbs who had materialized behind him. Ziva chuckled and turned back towards her desk.

"Oh DiNozzo, so many reasons…" He broke off as his cell phone rang. He pulled it out his pocket, a small smile gracing his features as he noticed the name on the caller ID. He flipped it open. The unmistakable sound of an explosion invaded his ear and then her voice came on the line. The worry had already set in at the sound of the explosion, but the tone of her voice, so obviously in pain made the worry turn to panic.

"_Jethro…_"

"Jen…Jen, where are you?" He all but shouted, causing his team to look worriedly at their leader. "Jen? Can you hear me?…Jenny, hold on, I'm coming for you." He snapped his phone shut.

"McGee, triangulate the Directors GSP signal…she's in trouble."

* * *

_V!_

_xox_


	2. She's a Fighter

"Damn it McGee, what's taking so long?" Gibbs snapped, pacing in front of his desk. McGee bit back the urge to defend himself, telling Gibbs that is had only been 10 seconds at the most, instead he continued to type furiously on his keyboard, willing the machine to work faster.

"Got it...She's just outside Germanstown on the Washington National Pike." McGee sounded relieved and grabbed his bag just as Tony and Ziva did the same, they all sprinted after Gibbs, McGee slipped into the elevator just as the doors were closing, earning himself a silent arm squeeze from Ziva and a tentative smile from Tony.

Gibbs's jaw muscles rippled in double time as they sped towards the co-ordinates McGee was reading out. _Hold on Jenny, _he silently pleaded, praying that her agent skills would have kicked in by now and that she had found somewhere dry to hide.

The crash site appeared out of nowhere and Gibbs slammed on the brakes, the tires squealed across the tarmac and he ignored the strangled gasped that came from Tony. He bolted from the truck, switching on his flashlight, he glanced at McGee.

"If the car is like that," He pointed down to the mangled heap still burning in the ditch, "is there anyway her cell would be transmitting her co-ordinates if she was...in it?" He asked, dreading the answer.

"No, she must have got out." He glanced down at his PDA, "She's 20 feet...that way." He pointed to his right and Gibbs took off at a speed that his team rarely saw and they followed. Gibbs pulled out his cell and dialed Jens number, listening out for her ring tone. He heard it off to his left and saw a pale hand, smeared with blood protruding out from under a bush. He fell to his knees and clasped the wrist, relief flooding over him as he felt the light pulse under his fingers. He gently pulled her free from the undergrowth, his breath catching in his throat as he took in the blood around her temple and the fierce bruise already forming on her cheek.

"Tony...get Ducky." Tony sped off, back to the truck, hoping that Palmer had been able to keep up and that for once he hadn't got lost. His relief at seeing Ducky was obviously evident on his face.

"Show me." Ducky said simply, hoping that he wouldn't be performing an autopsy of Jen.

"She's got a pulse, Ducky." Tony informed him as they raced back to Gibbs.

"Thank heavens for small mercies. Anthony, call Bethesda, let them know we are on our way."

* * *

"_And you are absolutely sure?" _The voice on the end of the phone hissed.

"As sure as I can be right now…listen Boss, if, by some miracle, she did survive, I will make sure that she wont for much longer." He gripped the phone tighter as he waited for the response.

"_Well, I guess that will have to do for now…but if you fail this time…" _He left the threat open as he hung up. Oh lord, yes he knew full well what would happen if she managed to survive.

* * *

"Sir? Sir, you're gonna have to let her go…we need to take her to surgery." The Doctor pulled Jen's hand out of Gibbs's and rushed off down the corridor. Ducky placed a hand on Gibbs's shoulder.

"Have faith, Jethro. She is a fighter and in one of the best hospitals around." Gibbs nodded silently and pulled out his cell phone.

"DiNozzo, you finished at the crime scene?" He snapped as soon as the phone was answered.

"_Yeah Boss, we're heading back to the building, gonna give Abby everything…is the Director ok?" _He asked tentatively. Gibbs sighed.

"She's in surgery." Was all he replied before he hung up, leaving Tony staring at his phone.

"Jethro, do we even know it's a crime scene yet?" Ducky asked. Gibbs whipped around, his blue eyes burning with anger, anger at himself for letting Jen get hurt.

"Hell yes Duck, contrary to movies, cars don't just explode…and Jen is a careful driver, we've gotta get the car back to the garage, get Abby to process everything." He said, starting to pace. Ducky stopped him.

"Why don't you go home, get some rest, she won't be out for hours." Gibbs raised an eyebrow at him, "Right, of course, I didn't really think you would go home but it was worth a shot." Ducky sat down, defeated. He looked at his old friend, wishing there was some way to help him, but he knew he was only going to be happy if…when Jen woke up.

"There was nothing you could have done Jethro." Ducky said, knowing that Gibbs would be feeling guilt.

"I'm staying here Ducky."

* * *

_V!_

_xox_


	3. Any News Doctor?

The unnamed man had watched as the team arrived, he watched as what he could only assume was the team leader raced towards some undergrowth. He watched as he pulled out a body, and he heard them announce that "she" still has a pulse. He nearly cried out in anger. How had she managed to survive? He watched the old man check her out, he watched them bundle her into the back of a van and he drove a safe distance behind to Bethesda, and watched them unload her to the Doctors. Well, at least he knew where she was.

* * *

"Argh!" Abby threw Bert across the lab in frustration, nearly hitting McGee in the doorway. She looked up, a stray tear running down her face. McGee picked up Bert and gave him back to her. She clasped him to her chest and looked at McGee again. "I can't find anything McGee...nothing, no accelerant, not that a car needs accelerant, no source of ignition…nothing!" She squeezed Bert, and McGee cringed slightly at the noise, He pulled Abby into a hug.

"It's ok Abs, I have faith in you, you're the best. If it's there, you can find it." He said, she wound her arms around his waist and squeezed, causing another unsavory noise from Bert, who was trapped in between them.

"That's just it Timmy, I'm not sure there is anything there." McGee looked down at her.

"Don't you trust Gibbs?" He asked. Abby looked shocked.

"With my life Timmy, but what if he is making more of this than there is? What if she just had an accident?"

* * *

"I don't know if Gibbs can come back from this one if the Director doesn't wake up." Tony paced the bullpen, desperate for news but unwilling to phone Gibbs. Ziva, always so calm, was pacing with him, crossing paths with him in front of the plasma.

"She will." She said simply, knowing how strong Jenny was, no matter people thought, however, she was worried about her friend. She passed Tony again and he stopped her with both hands on her shoulders.

"What if she doesn't?" He asked, searching her face for an answer. He respected and liked Jen, and he was worried about her.

"She will." Ziva replied again, the determination in her voice more pronounced this time, but she still didn't know if she was trying to reassure Tony or herself. Tony nodded at her once, seemingly satisfied for the moment, and they both continued pacing.

* * *

A million and one scenarios were running through Gibbs's head; what if she didn't wake up? What if she woke up but had serious brain damage? What if she dies on the operating table? He shook his head, he knew he had to go try and work this out, try and figure out what happened but he couldn't seem to drag himself away from the hospital, the only comfort was that he knew his team could handle things for a while. Ducky's calming presence was still firmly planted next to him, and he was grateful, knowing that his friend was as worried about Jen as much as the fact that Palmer had been left in charge of the ME's office.

"Any news Doctor?" He heard Ducky ask and glanced up to see the Surgeon. The surgeon took a breath, Gibbs held his.

"She had a lot of internal bleeding, 4 broken ribs, whiplash, a broken arm, a fractured ankle and a gash on her temple which could have been fatal, luckily it wasn't. We stopped the bleeding and set her arm, and she is in recovery. She will be in quite a bit of pain when she wakes up, which should be in the next couple of hours, so please, gentlemen, do _not_ excite her, I understand you want some answers, but she will need rest." He gave them both a stern stare and left, leaving Ducky to turn to Gibbs.

"I told you she is a fighter." Ducky said, giving Gibbs a quick pat on the shoulder, "Now I know she is going to be ok, I should get back, I dread to think what Mr Palmer has done to my cadavers." He smiled slightly as Gibbs, trying to lighten the mood, however slightly. Gibbs nodded once in thanks and returned the smile, silently thanking his friend for understanding his need to be alone with Jen.

The machines beeped, the respirator whirred, and the lights hummed, all making Jen's deathly pale face look paler, if it was possible. The sight took his breath away, he had only seen her like this once and it nearly killed him, nearly killed the person responsible too. His hands clenched by his sides, itching to brush her hair out of her face but not wanting to know how cool her skin would feel. He sat down on the chair next to her and picked up her hand. He rubbed it gently as if willing warmth back into it.

"Come on Jen," He said quietly, "wake up…I need to know what happened." He received no answer but the constant hum of machinery.

* * *

_V!_

_xox_


	4. She's Awake

_Wow, I really am on a roll today! _

* * *

The first thing she heard was the beeping of machines, the first thing she felt was a large, slightly rough hand covering hers, followed very quickly by pain. She cracked her eyes open and squinted at the dim strip lights above her head, she knew they were on half-light but they still hurt her eyes. The tube in her throat was cloying and she tried to cough, bringing Gibbs's attention to her. He sat bolt up right, his hand on her forehead.

"It's ok Jen, I'll get a nurse." He turned away and she gripped his hand, not ready to be left alone in a hospital when she couldn't remember why she was here. Gibbs reached for the call button, and stroked her head, murmuring quiet words to her. His voice was low and rich and it calmed her. A few moments later a nurse came in, she waved Gibbs aside but he kept hold of her hand, and the nurse extracted the tube, making it easier for Jen to breathe. She took a large lungful and coughed, the action made her grimace and Gibbs helped her sit up and handed her a glass of water. She gulped greedily at it until he took it out of her hands.

"Easy Jen." He said, his hand once again on her forehead. She looked up at him.

"What happened?" She asked, her voice hoarse. He internally winced at the sound of it, wishing that he could take away her pain.

"I was hoping you could tell me." He said, sitting back down on the chair. She looked at her hands, noting the plaster that was covering her arm. She put a hand to her head, closing her eyes trying to think; he noticed that it was shaking slightly.

"I think I'm broken Jethro." She said, his heart broke at the pathetic tone of her voice.

"It's ok Jen, we'll fix you, we can talk later." He said, pulling her hand away from her face. She smiled up at him and closed her eyes.

"Thank you." She whispered, sleep once again pulling her down.

"For what?" He asked.

"Saving me." She murmured succumbing to sleep. He placed a light kiss on her head.

"My pleasure."

* * *

"Anthony…" Ducky walked into the bullpen and looked around. Ziva looked up at the same time as Tony. "She is awake…Jethro will probably be calling anytime for an update." He warned. Tony glanced at Ziva worriedly.

"We don't have anything Ducky." He admitted. It looks like it was just an accident. Abby can't find anything." He shrugged dejectedly. Ducky gave him an encouraging smile.

"Well I suggest you go back to the site and find something." Tony sighed and picked up his bag.

"Come on Zee-Vah, lets go…Ducky, can you tell McGee and Abby to keep looking?" He asked as the elevators swung shut.

* * *

"She's awake." He said into the phone, dreading the answer.

"_Well make sure she doesn't stay awake…she has caused too much trouble for me already, you have to make sure that she doesn't put two and two together…I will double your pay._" His boss hung up the phone, leaving him wondering how in God's name was he meant to get into a Military Hospital and murder the Director of NCIS.

* * *

"Well, thank God it's getting light, because I couldn't see anything here before." Ziva said as the first streams of sunrise broke through the clouds. Tony and she were walking the perimeter of the crash site, desperately hoping that they would find something they missed.

"Hey, you think this is useless?" Tony asked, Ziva turned to him, an eyebrow raised questioningly. "I mean, people crash, especially in rain on dark roads…what makes the Director any different?" He questioned. Ziva shook her head and let out a small laugh.

"All these years working with Gibbs and you still question "the gut"? Seriously Tony, if Gibbs thinks there is something more to this, there is something more to this." She squinted at the ground and crouched down. "Tony, pass me a evidence bag." Tony leaned over her.

"You find something?" He asked hopefully. She picked something up and placed it in the bag.

"I think so…a cigarette butt." She handed the bag to Tony who looked at it.

"Looks like we may have caught a break." He said.

* * *

Abby paced her lab, Tony and Ziva had rung telling her they evidence that needed to be processed as soon as they got back and she was anxious. McGee was trying to get her to sit.

"McGee…I can't sit, not when the Director is still in hospital, and the boss man needs results." She threw her hands up. "Where are they?"

"Right here Abs." Tony and Ziva appeared in the doorway, their clothes dripping from the most recent downpour. Abby rushed to them and bounced up and down.

"Gimme gimme gimme." She held out her hands and Tony placed the evidence bag in them. She looked at Tony like he had just given her a diamond and spun back towards her machines. "Right boys…and girl, I have work to do, so unless you're gonna help…out." She pointed to the door and the team retreated. Abby placed her hands on her computer.

"You gotta work your magic now, you ready?"

* * *

_V!_

_xox_


	5. I've got a Match

_For Aly who needs cheering up!_

* * *

"YES!" Abby punched the air with both hands, causing McGee to jumped about 5 feet in the air. He spun on the chair and looked at her whilst she danced around the lab.

"My baby got it! DNA match from the cigarette butt, Timmy, matches a local felon by the name of..." She paused for dramatic effect which only served to make McGee try to look past her shoulder to the computer screen, "Timmy! You have no respect for drama." She said and pushed him out of the way.

"Abby, we need to know the name..." When she crossed her arms in front of her, he sighed and pulled out his cell phone. "I'll get Tony and Ziva down here, then you can give your announcement." She flung her arms around him.

"You are too good to me McGee."

* * *

"Do you ever sleep?" Jen asked as she woke up to find Jethro still there and still awake. He chuckled lightly.

"Do you need to ask that question?" He said and she smiled at him. "How are you feeling?" He asked. She shrugged.

"Like I've been in a car accident." She said, trying to lighten the mood. She noticed his hands tighten by his sides and she looked up to find his eyes on her. She reached out and took his hand, giving it a small squeeze before letting it go.

"What do you remember Jen?" He asked, suddenly serious. She looked at her hands again.

"It was raining…" She closed her eyes remembering, "…oh my god." She snapped her eyes open, they were brimming with tears, "Jethro…I think I hit someone."

* * *

"Ask and you shall receive." Abby said with a flourish as Tony and Ziva walked into the lab, McGee rolled his eyes at them and Abby punched him, "Don't make faces Timmy." She said, wagging a finger at him. Ziva suppressed a laugh as Abby spun back to her computer, pulling up the DNA results on the plasma.

"DNA match say that the smoker was one Spencer Richards, got a record for petty theft, car jacking…and…grievous bodily harm." Tony handed her a caf-pow from behind his back and kissed her on the cheek. She handed him a post-it with the address on it.

"Thank you Abby." He said as he walked out, Ziva and McGee following. Abby continued spinning on the spot for a few seconds and then turned to her machines.

"Good works babies."

* * *

Gibbs pulled Jen close to him, her body shaking, and ran a hand through her hair.

"No Jen, you didn't" He whispered she pulled away and looked at him, her eyes slightly red and full of worry.

"Are you sure?" She asked and he internally flinched at the small little voice. He nodded once.

"Yes I am, Abby found nothing on the car to suggest that you hit anyone…nothing ok?" His cell phone rung and he pulled it out of his pocket, irritated at the ringing, irritated at himself for being unable to calm Jen.

"Gibbs." He barked.

"_Boss, we got a name and address, want to meet us there?_" Tony asked, Gibbs heaved a sigh of relief, at least he could possibly now concentrate on Jen, on getting her better, fixing what she felt was broken.

"Give me the address." He said, writing it down and hanging up. He turned back towards Jen. She looked pleadingly at him, he brushed her face, his fingers barely touching her skin.

"What else do you remember Jen…it's really important." He said, she sighed, hating herself for the tiny emotional breakdown she just showed Gibbs.

"The car flipped…I think I was knocked out for a while…I came too and…crawled out." She took a ragged breath and Gibbs once again squeezed her hand, imploring her to continue.

"There was a man…in the tree line…what was he doing there?" She looked up at Gibbs.

"I don't know Jen, but I promise you, I will find out." She nodded, knowing that he would keep his word. She lifted a shaking hand to her temple to gently probe the tender area, he took her hand away, brushing his lips against it. If she hadn't been sitting in a hospital bed, she would have been surprised, but Jethro was always good in a crisis and she knew that they had been dancing around each other for too long. The promise in his eyes held so much more than the promise to find out what happened and she smiled gently at him. Her eyes were dropping again and she yawned. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles once.

"I'll be back, get some rest."

* * *

Spencer stared at his phone as it began to ring, dreading answering, dreading giving the ruthless man at the end of the line yet more bad news. He had done more than his fair share anyway, he caused the accident, if his Boss made his move now, she would get the message. That wasn't enough for him though, he wanted her dead and if his reputation had anything to do with it, he would get his way.

* * *

"What we got?" Gibbs asked as his crouched next to Tony, pulling out his side arm and looking at the house they were currently outside. Tony didn't take his eyes of the house as he spoke.

"30 year old, has a history of violence, grievous bodily harm, he's inside and he hasn't seen us. Abby got a DNA match from a cigarette butt we found at the crash." He explained, Gibbs nodded once.

"David, McGee, go round back, DiNozzo with me." Gibbs and Ziva kept low as they made their way to the front door, they gave Ziva and McGee enough time to get round back before they knocked on the door.

"Federal Agents…open up." Gibbs didn't wait the required 15 seconds before he kicked the door open to catch the back of someone running through the back door. Gunfire exploded in the garden and Tony and Gibbs sprinted through the house.

"He missed every single shot." McGee said as they came into the garden to find him cuffing Spencer.

"Wow Ziva, that was restrained of you, not to shoot him three times in the chest, only once on the kneecap." Tony whistled as Spencer glared at them. Ziva gave him a slightly strained smile.

"Knee caps hurt more." She explained and then grimaced slightly. She put her hand to her arm and frowned in confusion at the blood that came away on her hand. Tony clutched at her.

"Ziva…you're bleeding."

* * *

_V!_

_xox_


	6. Tell Me What You Know

_For Aly and Ellie, feel better my poppets! _

* * *

"You gave us all a scare there for a minute, my Dear." Ducky said as he bandaged up Ziva's arm. It had only been a scratch but Tony had panicked at the thought of his partner taking a bullet. Ziva let out a gentle laugh and patted Ducky's cheek.

"Maybe, but you fixed me, Ducky." She said as she hopped off the counter in Autopsy. Ziva smiled again at him, she admired the old ME, more than she would say. Yes he rambled on about irrelevant bits of information, but sometimes if you listened carefully, he had some very interesting insights; he wasn't the rambling old fool that a few people thought he was.

"Zee-vah! How is the poor injured soldier?" Tony asked as he breezed through Autopsy doors. She rolled her eyes at Ducky who hid a smile.

"I'm fine Tony, I have walked away from trouble with more than this before." She gestured to the bandage. Tony clapped her on the back and she resisted the urge to hit him.

"Gibbs has Spencer in Interrogation, want to come and watch him break the bastard?" He asked, his eyes lighting up at the thought. Ziva grinned at him.

"Of course."

* * *

Spencer Richards sat in Interrogation, wondering how long it would be before someone came in to talk to him. He was also wondering how the hell he was going to get out of this one. He had been bloody careful so if they had caught up to him, they must have concrete proof that he was there that night. He looked around as the door opened and a very angry looking man walked in.

"Can I smoke here?" Spencer asked. Gibbs looked at him with distain. "Guess that answers my question…what am I doing here pops?" He asked. Gibbs threw a folder down in front of him and walked behind him. Spencer pulled the folder towards him, and opened it. There was a picture of Jen's car, mangled and burnt beyond recognition. He resisted the urge to smile at his handiwork when a hand grabbed his and twisted it behind his back, and a hard chest pushed him face down onto the table.

"You hurt someone very important to us...to me…don't think you're going to get away with it." Gibbs hissed in his ear and let him up. Spencer rubbed his hand and twisted round to look at Gibbs.

"Don't know what you're talking about." He said. Gibbs fisted his hands by his sides, tempted to punch the self satisfied smile of the wimps face. Instead, he sat down in front of him and pulled the folder towards him. He pulled out a photo of the crash site.

"What were you doing here Spencer?" He asked. Spencer shrugged.

"You can't prove I was." He said, earning himself a laugh from Gibbs.

"Actually, you would be wrong there. We can prove you were there and we can prove that you caused that crash. You weren't successful by the way…she's still alive." He picked up the folder and walked out, leaving Spencer alone once again.

* * *

"You get anything from his cell phone Abby." Gibbs asked as he walked into her lab. Abby spun in her chair and launched herself at him. He caught her just before they both toppled backwards and steadied himself against the counter.

"Gibbs! How is she?" She asked, puling away and staring up at him with large worried eyes. He smiled down at her.

"She's fine Abs, or at least, she will be…the cell phone?" He asked. Abby seemed to visibly shake off her worry and turned towards her computers, bringing up the cell phone details.

"I haven't been able to trace it…_but_…all the incoming calls came from the same cell. Who ever it belongs to is sneaky, but don't worry, I will get a name, or at very least a location. Look at this though…two nights ago, 3 hours before the Director called you, he got this text message." She typed at the keyboard and pulled up the text message.

"_Washington National Pike, 2 miles East of Germanstown." _Gibbs read aloud.

"That was where she crashed right?" Abby asked, looking at Gibbs. His eyes had harrowed and gone an even more icy blue. He nodded once before he swept out of the lab. Abby sighed, worried that Gibbs was talking things too personally, but knowing that he wouldn't take things any other way, especially when the Director was concerned.

* * *

"Who is he, Spencer?" Gibbs asked as he barged into Interrogation. Spencer looked up at him, feigning innocence.

"Who is who?" He asked. Gibbs pulled him from his seat and slammed him against the wall, sparing a second to thank Tony for turning off the cameras in Observation and kicking out the techs.

"You're not fooling anyone Spencer," Gibbs spat at him, narrowing his eyes, "We all know you aren't clever enough to have put this together, now tell me who it is and I won't kill you." Spencer seemed to contemplate for a minute before the resolve settled back into his eyes.

"I don't know who it is." He said, his voice strangled as Gibbs tightened his grip on the front of his shirt. "Seriously pops, I don't know his name." Gibbs let him go and sat down, indicating that Spencer should sit also. Spencer eyed him before sitting down again. Gibbs looked at him.

"Tell me what you do know."

* * *

_V!_

_xox_


	7. She'll Stay With Me

"I'm telling you pops, I don't know his name. He just contact me a couple of weeks ago, said he wanted me to get rid of a problem of his." Spencer said. Gibbs held back from strangling the snake in front of him, gesturing for him to continue.

"Told me that I would get compensated for my trouble, and said he would be in touch." Gibbs stared at him, trying to decide if there was something Spencer wasn't telling them. For once, his gut wasn't telling him the full story, but he guess it was because Jen was involved, she had always complicated things. So he decided to make it very easy.

"Ok, if you wont tell me anything, I guess I am going to have to get Officer David to come and talk to you, she can be very…persuasive." Behind the one way glass, Tony glanced at Ziva and was slightly worried to see that her eyes had lit up with glee.

* * *

Jen stared at the door handle, willing it to turn, willing Jethro to walk through the door. She sighed and gave up, itching to go home was making her irritable and she wasn't quite sure if she wanted Jethro to be here to verbally spar with her or to break her out, either way, she wanted him here, to tell her everything was going to be ok.

"Jethro." She acknowledged as he walked through the door, she guessed all the willing paid off. He smiled easily at her, noting that a bit of color had come back to her.

"Jen…how you doing?" He asked, sitting down next to her and taking her hand. She didn't know why he kept doing that, but when his thumb brushed her knuckles she didn't really care.

"Ok…I want to get out of here, I want to check on my agency, which is probably in ruins after you looking after it for 3 days." She grinned lopsidedly at him and he chuckled.

"Actually, it's still standing…although you have Cynthia to thank for that, not me." She nodded as if she suspected that anyway. "We've got someone in custody Jen." He said suddenly.

"Who?" She asked, "And why?" He squeezed her hand.

"A guy called Spencer Richards, and because he was there that night Jen. He also received a text message saying where you were going to be. He hasn't given us much only that this is deeper than him and he doesn't know his boss's name. Ziva will get him to talk though." He broke of with a smile. Jen shook her head.

"Need I remind you Jethro that you can't torture someone in Interrogation?" She said with a smile. He held his hands up in defense.

"Don't need to tell me Jen, tell Ziva that."

* * *

"How many times do I have to tell you that I don't know?" Spencer cried as Ziva circled him like a tigress. Spencer had no idea how dangerous she was, but he could he guess from the look in her eye and the fact that he had shot her was not going to be in his favor.

"Just once more then…I rip your tongue out...and you wont be able to lie to me anymore." She answered simply. The look her gave her said that he wasn't quite sure of he believed her or not. She laughed to herself, loving the fact that most people underestimated her; it made for a better surprise. Tony stuck his head round the door, getting a pleading look from Spencer.

"The boss says that you can do whatever you want, we're gonna get Abby to get rid of the body anyway." He looked pointedly at Spencer who gulped. Ziva chuckled and nodded once at Tony.

"Did you hear that Spencer? I can do whatever I want with you." Spencer looked like he was going to throw up.

* * *

"You left Ziva alone with a suspect?" She asked incredulously. He shrugged.

"Yeah, and?" When she continued to stare at him he laughed, "Oh come on Jen, its not like she is gonna kill him…I just said to rattle him a little bit."

"Jethro, our idea of "rattle" and Ziva's idea are _very _different…you better hope he isn't dead when you get back, because not even I would be able to get you out of that mess." He leant forward and brushed some hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear, his finger grazing her neck.

"Jen…you're always trying to fix things." He said. She pulled his hand away and absentmindedly entwined her fingers with his.

"That's because you always break them." He laughed as she smiled easily at him. The door opened and she dropped his hand.

"Ready to go home Director Shepard?" The nurse asked and Gibbs hadn't seen Jen look so happy in quite some time.

"Oh thank God for that…not that you haven't been entirely charming, but I have missed the comforts of my own home." She backtracked. The nurse let out a quick laugh.

"That's ok, I can't tell you how often I hear "oh thank god" when we tell people they can go home. Now, on a serious note, you have had surgery, you have got 4 broken ribs that are going to be painful. I suggest you stay with a friend, or get someone to stay with you…just for a while." Jen looked at the nurse, hoping that she was joking. When Gibbs answered in his gruff voice, she knew she wasn't.

"She'll stay with me."

* * *

_V!_

_xox_


	8. Learning to Share

"I'm sorry...what?" Jen spluttered, and struggled to stand up. Gibbs didn't even look at her as he reiterated his comment to the nurse.

"She'll stay with me." He said again.

"The hell I will Jethro." She snapped, tugging on his sleeve to get him to turn around as much as helping herself up. The nurse looked amused.

"Shall I leave you two alone to sort this out?" She asked.

"No."

"Yes." Gibbs and Jen answered at the same time, and glared at each other, earning themselves a chuckle from the retreating back of the nurse.

"I am not staying with you." Jen said once the nurse had closed the door. Gibbs crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"And why not?" He asked.

"I want to be in my own bed. I want to be surrounded by my own stuff. Your place smells of sawdust…you snore." She listed the reasons off on her fingers, much to the amusement of Gibbs.

"Jen…the guy that did this is still out there and by the way…I do not snore."

"Yes you do." She said and also crossed her arms in front of her.

"Looks like we are at an impasse." He said, amused with the way this conversation was going, knowing that being stuck in hospital for days always made her cranky and in need of a good argument.

"No. We're not, I don't want to stay with you, I want to go home." She narrowed her eyes at him, she knew he was just pandering to her need for a sparing match and she thanked him for it, silently anyway.

"Fine, well I come with you then." He announced, taking a step towards her.

"Jethro…I know I am suffering from broken ribs but I can still hurt you." She glanced down at his nether regions that were within striking distance of her knee. He took another step forward, ignoring her threat.

"You wouldn't dare." He said, the challenge burning in his eyes.

"You want to test that theory, Jethro?" She asked, angling her face towards him. That was when he pounced, covering his lips with hers. She was taken aback for the tiniest of moments until intuition kicked in and she kissed him back, winding her good hand in his hair, tugging him closer. He pulled away and grinned at her.

"I guess we're staying at yours then."

* * *

"You are so annoying."

"So are you." Gibbs countered as he carried Jen through her front door and placed her on her feet. She poked him in the chest with her index finger.

"Well that was a mature and well thought out response…congratulations." He chuckled at her irritation and walked towards her study. "Now where the hell do you think you are going?" She asked as she hobbled after him. He ignored her and when she arrived he had already poured a glass of bourbon and was holding it out to her. She pursed her lips in vague amusement and took the glass.

"Jethro," She began, almost mesmerized by the way his throat moved as he swallowed the bourbon, he caught her staring and grinned. She cleared her throat and began again. "As you can see, there is no one here but me…I'm fine, you really don't have to stay." She didn't know which she wanted more, him to stay here with her, and maybe hold her in his arms or for him to leave her alone, to have a bath and…she internally sighed, knowing that even if he wasn't physically here, he was going to be on her thoughts, that damn kiss was going to be on her thoughts.

"Maybe I don't…but you can't get rid of me that easily." He grinned at her again and she resisted the urge to wipe the grin off his face.

"I need a bath." She announced and swept out of the room, as fast as her bruised and hurting body would let her. He caught up with her in no time and lifted her off her feet, carrying her up the stairs; she opened her mouth to protest.

"No use whining Jen, there was no way you were gonna make those stairs by yourself, also…if you wriggle, you are going to hurt yourself." She grudgingly conceded that he made a good point and shut up. He placed he ron her feet again in the bathroom and began running the bath, making sure the water wasn't too hot before he put the plug in.

"Jethro…I am not a cripple, I can draw my own bath, thank you very much." She placed her hands on her hips, forgetting that her ribs were broken and winced. He was at her side in a second and she waved him away. "I'm fine."

"I have a vested interest in this bath Jen." He said, going back to his job and she looked at him with confusion. "Well, if I am going to be sharing it with you, I need to make sure the water is to my liking." He smirked at her and she rolled her eyes again.

"You're not sharing it with me, so it doesn't concern you." She said. He stood up and wound his hand round her wrist, gently pulling her to him.

"Yes I am." He said, lowering his head to her neck, she arched it gently, mindful of the whiplash she had received. The feel of his lips against her skin caught her unaware. She hadn't felt it for such a long time and back in the hospital she had been too shocked to think about it, but now, she could take all the time in the world rediscovering all the nooks and crannies that she had missed, she wondered briefly if his skin still tasted the same. She gently pushed him away and kisses his chest, her tongue darting out glad to find that he did indeed still have the same intoxicating taste. His griped tightened on her slightly. She looked up at him. He grinned once again; she had missed his smile too.

"Besides, you need to me wash your back."

* * *

_There you go Ellie, kissage for you!_

_V!_

_xox_


	9. It's Tough Being Perfect

They both fell asleep wrapped in each others arms, Gibbs claiming that he knew her well enough to know that the only time she was still in sleep was when he held her. They both knew it wasn't just that that made him want to hold her whilst she slept but neither of them said anything, preferring to be alone with their thoughts, even if they weren't actually alone.

The morning had felt completely natural and they had both reverted back to their bickering old selves again, enjoying the usual gentle sparring that came with the sexual tension that swirled around them.

"You want a lift downstairs?" He called up to her as she toweled her hair, grimacing as the pain in her ribs shot across her chest. She hobbled to the top of the stairs. He stood at the bottom, mug of coffee in one hand, grin plastered on his face and no shirt.

"No thank you," She replied, turning away. "And could you please put some clothes on? It's distracting." She called over her shoulder, enjoying the sound of his laughter echoing around the entrance hall. She heard him come up the stairs and wasn't surprised when he entered her bedroom. She turned towards him.

"Can I help you with something?" She asked. He shook his head and picked up his T-Shirt.

"Just looking for this." He said, pulling it over his head, "and…this." He scooped her up; ignoring her verbal protests he descended the stairs, by the time he reached the bottom she had crossed her arms over her chest and was pouting, he hid the smile that threatened to escape, knowing that she hating being incapable.

"You're getting heavy." He said as he put her down, earning himself a playful slap on his shoulder.

"You just have no stamina old man." She teased. He caught her gently round the waste, mindful of her broken ribs, and tucked her still damp hair behind her ears, his fingers tracing the bruise that was slowly fading on her cheek.

"When you're all fixed, Jen, I gonna show you exactly how much stamina I have…you want some coffee?"

* * *

"So he didn't talk?" Tony asked as Ziva came back into the bullpen looking dejected.

"No." She answered shortly, starting to doubt her skills as an interrogator.

"And is his tongue still attached to his body?" Tony asked a hint of worry in his voice. Ziva glared at him.

"Yes." Tony furrowed his brow, wondering if he had misheard or was that disappointment in Ziva's tone.

"As much as I would have been in awe of you if you had ripped his tongue out with your bare hands, Zee-vah, It's probably a good thing you didn't...maybe he didn't have anything to say." He said, giving her shoulder a quick pat in sympathy.

"Maybe not, but he didn't even make something up to stop me threatening him…Tony, am I not frightening anymore?" She asked. Tony chuckled.

"Ziva, you scare the hell out of me sometimes…don't tell anyone." Her eyes lit up and she smiled happily.

"At least I scare someone."

"If it helps, I think you terrify Probie." Tony added and Ziva laughed. "Speaking of Probie, he called. Abby thinks she's getting somewhere tracing the cell phone."

* * *

"You know what Timmy? Sometimes it is so hard being perfect." Abby mused as she typed at her keyboard. McGee looked up, thinking how to word his answer so he didn't get hit.

"I can only imagine." He replied, hoping that she wouldn't hear the sarcasm. "But why do you say that?" He asked. She rolled her eyes.

"Oh Timmy, you have so much to learn. When, like me, you're perfect, people expect so much from you…however…because I am so perfect, I _always_ deliver…nearly got it." She pulled her lower lip between her teeth and narrowed her eyes at the computer. "Just…give…me…two more seconds…and…voila…oh crap." She trailed off. McGee looked at her then the computer screen.

"Oh dear god."

"What the hell are you two doing…whoa…Abby please tell me that _he_ is up there because he has been calling Spencer?" Tony said as he walked into the lab, McGee and Abby both nodded dumbly at the screen.

"Ok then…" Tony clapped Ziva on the back, "His tongue…you can rip out."

* * *

"Ok, I'll be there in a minute." Gibbs snapped the phone shut and looked at Jen who was already looking at him, with a little bit of hope in her eyes. "Gotta go back to work." He said.

"Oh thank God for that." She breathed, earning herself a stare from Gibbs. She laughed. "Oh come on Jethro, as much fun as it's been, you are kind of suffocating…go catch some bad guys…no doubt you will come back later." She gave him a gentle push towards the door. He stopped as he walk leaving, and turned to her.

"Make sure all the door are locked. I will be back as soon as I can, Jen." She frowned up at him.

"You're forgetting something." She said.

"Oh yeah…" He leant down and kissed her, almost pretending like they were a normal couple at the beginning of the day. She grinned against his mouth.

"No…not that. I can take care of my self, I was a damn good agent." She pushed him out of the door. She watched as he walked towards the car.

"I know Jen, you _were_, look after yourself." He laughed as she slammed the front door.

* * *

_V!_

_xox_


	10. You Deserve Nothing

* * *

_Sorry, I know its a short one, but I wanted to get something up before my Boss came back from his meeting! _

_Thank you Aly for all your help, YOU are amazing! _

* * *

Jen slammed the front door, knowing that Jethro was laughing behind it. She took a deep breath, she had to get better quickly because as much as she liked...no loved having him here, it was getting too much, they weren't meant to spend this much time together fully clothed, it was unnatural and frustrating.

She limped to her study and sat down at her desk, running her fingers over the dark wood. The desk had belonged to her father; she loved and hated it at the same time. She opened the top drawer and pulled a photo out, studying it. Her eyes narrowed at it and she resisted the urge to throw it into the fire, she would need it later. A noise in the hallway made her look up.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She snapped, furious and slightly worried as to how he had got in.

"Just come to finish what I started...Director."

"Did the thought never occur to you that's what I am doing?" She asked, glancing into the drawer to check if her spare weapon was still there. He didn't notice.

"You've been making my life very difficult Director." He said, coming through the door into her study. She pushed herself up and stared at him.

"Oh...really? I am sorry." She said, ignoring the pain from her ribs which protested at the distain she threw at him.

"No need to be rude, Director, I may have failed in my plan to stop you, but I am going to be civilized and ask you nicely. Please stop."

"I'm afraid that is not going to happen…and when have you been civilized? You tried to kill me."

"You tried to shut me down." He replied. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"You deserve nothing."

* * *

Tony, Ziva and McGee stood round the plasma, the recent event of Abby tracing the cell phone still shocking them all.

"So…I really can rip his tongue out?" Ziva asked with a little too much enthusiasm.

"Please, stop with the ripping out of tongues?" McGee asked.

"Who's ripping out whose tongue? DiNozzo, what the hell is he doing up on the plasma?" Gibbs asked, surprising them all. Ziva was the first to recover.

"Actually, Gibbs, Abby traced the cell phone that called Spencer." She gestured towards the plasma. Gibbs stared at the screen, trying to determine if his team were joking or not. They all waited for it to sink in and for Gibbs to give them an order.

"Come on." He said as he turned towards the elevators. They grabbed their bags and ran after him.

"Where are we going Boss?" Tony asked, "We don't have an address for him."

"I know where he is."

* * *

"Really Director, I don't know where this hostility has come from. Didn't I help you out recently?" He asked, running his index finger over the spines of her books. She resisted the urge to pull his hand away, not wanting him touching anything of hers.

"I saw the autopsy photos, there is a strange resemblance between the mark on my fathers hand and the mark on La Grenouille's hand. You didn't think I would put two and two together?" She asked, anger quickly rising, wishing she could punch the smug bastards face, knowing that she would probably do more damage to herself right now.

"It's a pity you're a so clever, Director. It will get you into trouble one of these days." She let out a bitter laugh.

"Don't try and intimidate me, it wont work…why did you kill my father?" She asked finally, the question that she had been burning to ask for so long came out. He looked shocked that she asked it.

"He had become a liability, he needed to be disposed." He shook his head as she went for her weapon, and he pulled out his and pointed it straight at her head. "I wouldn't if I were you Director, with your injuries I am bound to be quicker than you." The deep voice from behind surprised him, almost as much as a barrel against his skull.

"Maybe, but you wont be quicker than me...put the gun down, Kort."

* * *

_V!_

_xox_


	11. Chokehold

_Ok, there are two short chapters coming now, just because I wanted to end this chapter where I did. _

_But both of them are for Ellie, to (hopefully) make up for being a dick! _

* * *

"Go on…pull the trigger, I would love to see her try to get you out of this one." Kort said, an amused edge to his voice but Gibbs couldn't help but note the faint edge of fear, as if he expected him to pull the trigger.

"Believe me, there is nothing more that I want right now…but I am not going to give you that satisfaction."

Jen had heaved a silent sigh of relief as she saw Gibbs lurking in the shadows, but she hadn't even flinched, not wanting to give Kort a reason to look around. Gibbs's presence seemed to have lifted the oppressive tension in the room slightly, or maybe it was just that he lifted her spirits by being there.

"The Director and I were just having a chat, no need for violence Agent Gibbs." Kort turned around, knowing that Gibbs wouldn't pull the trigger, however much he may have wanted to. The looked that quickly shot between Jen and Gibbs would have been hard to miss if he hadn't been looking at Jen. He laughed.

"So I see you two have given into 'temptation'?" He laughed again. Gibbs's hands pushed him against the door frame, the hard wood biting into his back and his hands came around his throat and squeezed.

"I don't think that's any of your business." He hissed before letting Kort go. The quiet chuckle alerted him to the presence of DiNozzo, who was standing in the hallway with his weapon trained on Kort. He coughed as he gasped for breath, before standing straight and staring at Tony.

"How does it feel Kort?" Tony asked only to be stared at again by Kort. "How does it feel to be in the chokehold yourself? Not such a playground is it?" Tony asked, the bitterness in his voice almost tangible. Tony's trigger finger itched to squeeze and end the nuisance in front of him, but he held, sensing Ziva across the hall looking at him.

"I don't know if your CIA is going to be able to get you out of this one Kort." Gibbs said, tugging Korts hands behind his back and gesturing to Ziva to cuff him. Ziva pulled his arms slightly harder than necessary and he let out a quite growl of anger. She smiled dangerously at him, as if daring him to try to fight back. Kort backed down and seemed to visibly slump although Gibbs knew that his vicious mind was working over time on how to get out of here, out of Ziva's relentless grip, out of trouble. Gibbs glared at him as he was marched to the car.

He turned to Jenny who was pouring a large measure of bourbon into a glass. He pulled the glass out of her hand, and pulled her chin up with his finger.

"You ok?" He asked, she smiled gently.

"I am now…thank you for turning up…you always seem to turn up at the right moment." She let out a small laugh. He shrugged, unwilling to explain that there was nothing that could keep him away and he always instinctively knew when she was in trouble, even if he didn't know exactly what trouble.

"That reminded me of something." He said, raising an eyebrow at her. She raised one back, knowing that he was talking about when he had stopped her shooting La Grenouille in this very study, although that was something she still wasn't ready to admit to.

"If I asked you now…would you stay?" She asked, trying a subtle topic change, reminding him of the Carson Case, he noticed but didn't comment. He grinned at her.

"You asking?"

* * *

_V!_

xox


	12. Fine By Me

* * *

"Yes…I'm asking." She said, a tentative smile gracing her soft features. He lifted his hand to her cheek, the bruise still vivid.

"Then I'm staying…" He said before lowering his lips to hers. A discreet cough from the doorway made them spring apart. Ziva stood with her back to them, knowing they wouldn't want her to be facing them right now and seeing the faint blush spreading across both their faces, she also didn't want them to see the small smirk across her face.

"Kort is ready to go Gibbs." Ziva said before leaving them. Jen turned to him and smiled understandingly.

"Go…go finish this." She said. He nodded once.

"You wanna come?" He threw over his shoulder as he walked out. Jen grinned as she grabbed her weapon and badge.

* * *

"So, you wanna tell me what you were doing at the Directors house?" Gibbs asked as he walked into interrogation. Kort glared at him, his mind still whirring with possible escapes routes.

"As I said, Agent Gibbs, we were having a chat, which you so rudely interrupted." Gibbs chuckled sarcasticly.

"You're gonna have to try again Kort, I wasn't born yesterday. We know you paid SPencer Richards to cause that accident, and that he was meant to finish the job when Jen was in hospital." Gibbs paused, taking out some photos from a folder, the use of the Directors first name wasn't lost on Kort.

"Oh, so its Jen now is it?" He asked. Gibbs resisted the urge to launch himself across the table and throttle that smug grin of Kort's face, knowing that if he did, Tony would come bursting through the doors to lend a hand.

* * *

"God I hate that man." Tony said from Observation, Ziva placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I do not think Gibbs likes him very much either." She said, earning herself a small chuckle from Tony.

"I wonder if anyone likes him?" Tony asked. The door to observation burst open and Abby rushed in, throwing herself at Jen, who caught her with a groan of pain.

"Oh Director, I'm so sorry…I'm just so happy to see you, I was so worried about you, then gibbs said that you were ok but you didn't come back to work so then I starting thinking that there must be something _really_ wrong and…"

"Abby, breathe…I'm fine." Jen said, ignoring the pain that was blossoming across her chest.

"You're sure? I mean really _really_ sure?" Abby asked, her large dark eyes full of worry. Jen smiled, they had had a shaky start, Abby and Jen, but Jen had instantly warmed to Abby, even if Abby hadn't. Jen admired the bouncy goth and Abby had grown to admire the fiery red head.

"Really sure." She patted the younger woman on the shoulder and turned back to the one way mirror.

* * *

"Looks like you are going to have a hard time getting out of this one Kort. I hope you enjoy prison." Gibbs said, standing up and opening the door. Kort let out a bitter laugh.

"The CIA wont let that happen Gibbs. I am too important to them." Kort said. Gibbs smiled at him.

"We'll see."

Jen met Gibbs in the hallway. He smiled tiredly at her and she quickly placed a hand on his face.

"You look tired." She said and he grasped her hand in his.

"I am…let's get you home." He said as he let go of her hand just as the rest of the team came into the hallway.

"What we going to do with Chuckles in there, Boss?" Tony asked, gesturing towards interrogation with his thumb.

"Leave him there, he can see what a night in Interrogation feels like." Gibbs replied, placing a gentle but firm hand on Jens lower back, guiding her down the hall to the elevators.

The doors slid close as he reached for her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I'm not letting you out of my sight for a while, I hope you realized that?" He asked, his mouth inching closer to hers. She smiled up at him.

"Fine by me."

* * *

_V!_

xox


	13. Games

The ride back to the house was a quiet one, both of them alone with their thoughts. Gibbs glanced over at Jen, her forehead was creased into a frown and her bottom lip was caught between her teeth. He resisted the urge to pull the car over and have her then and there. She seemed to sense his eyes on her because she turned to him and he looked back at the road, she let out a small chuckle.

"I thought we didn't play that game anymore Jethro." She said, entwining her fingers with his over the gear stick.

"What game?" He asked, flicking his eyes towards her briefly.

"The "let's pretend we're not looking at each other" game." He chuckled, gently squeezing her hand.

"I was playing the "I'm driving so I should concentrate on the road" game, Jen, we don't want another accident." She nodded in agreement as he brushed his lips over her knuckles.

They lapsed back into companionable silence as he drove them towards her house. He pulled into the driveway, turned off the engine and got out of the car without saying another word. He walked round and opened her door, offering his hand which she took gratefully, her ribs protesting at the effort. He noticed the grimace.

"You ok?" He asked, still holding onto her hand. She pulled it free, unused to this such blatant concern.

"I'm fine." She said, walking towards the front door as fast as her bruised ankle would let her. He caught up with her and stopped her.

"You sure?" He asked. She sighed.

"Honestly I'm fine, just not used to you hovering round me like this." She said, and immediately regretted it. The hard exterior that she had been so used to seeing when she first got back to NCIS slid into place, until she reached out and cupped his cheek with her hand.

"I like it…just not used to it...I'm more used to you lurking in the shadows." She smiled, willing him to see that she really did like it. He nodded once and unlocked her door, pushing it open for her.

He caught her round the waist and spun her gently, using his back to shut the door, pulling her with him. He nuzzled into her neck, reveling in the way her pulse quickened under his lips.

Two parts of her body were waging a war. Her blood was pumping around her body, desperately trying to get her to release the desire that was sitting heavily in her stomach. Her healing ribs were telling her to stop, to push him away, but his lips against the skin on her neck was something that was too good to miss, however hard it was to breathe right now.

"I've missed this." He murmured against her skin, the vibrations causing her to shiver slightly.

He ran his hands down her ribs and gently pulled her hips towards him. He must have heard her sharp in take of breath as a wave of pain hit her as she arched into him, because he pulled back and searched her face.

"Wanna stop?" He asked, and she could see him dreading the answer as he was already nearly at the point of no return.

"No…yes…maybe…I don't know." She frowned in anger at herself and the injuries and he gently pulled her face towards his.

"Just say stop." He murmured, covering her lips with his, running his tongue along the opening of her mouth, seeking entry. She granted it with a moan that reverberated through his chest and almost made him lose control.

He hand skimmed down her stomach, mindful of the bruises that were still there and fumbled with the button and fly of her pants.

"Wanna go upstairs?" He whispered next to her ear. She shook her head.

"It's more comfortable standing right now." She gasped as his hand found its target, regretting her decision not to go upstairs as her knees nearly gave way as he began to move his fingers.

Her breath was hot against his neck. He had missed this, missed the little noises that escaped her when she was nearing the edge, missed her hands clutching at any part of his body they could reach. He knew that she was more comfortable standing right now, but he wanted to feel her beneath him, he wanted her to hold him as he shuddered to release above her. But he held back, knowing that her healing ribs would need a while yet before that scenario was likely to happen.

The loud buzzing of a cell phone echoed around the hallway, causing both of them to groan as he pulled his hand away. Gibbs pulled his cell out and glared at it, as if that would get it to stop ringing. He pulled it open.

"Gibbs," He snapped down the receiver, pausing as the worried voice of Tony came on the line.

"_Boss, we have a problem…_" Gibbs listened, his anger nearly boiling over, his hand tightening on the phone. He snapped it shut. Jen looked up at him questioningly, her breath still slightly ragged and her eyes still dark.

"God _damn_ it." He cried, causing Jen to flinch slightly, "CIA just got Kort off all charges."

* * *

_V!_

_xox_


	14. Thank You

_Ok, so this is the final chapter...its been emotional! Thanks for staying with me..._

* * *

Kort had vanished. For a month they had tried to find him, tried to cajole him into doing something stupid so they could pull the trigger, Tony, Gibbs and Jen didn't know which one wanted it more. But he had disappeared; no doubt he was laying low, biding his time for payback. Gibbs was constantly looking over Jen's shoulder, not wanting to take the risk that she would once again be almost taken from him.

With regards to their personal life they had taken things slowly, finding time in their busy schedules to reacquaint themselves with each other and true to form, hadn't spoken a word about the change.

"So, I was thinking," Gibbs said as he barged into her office at the end of her first week back. She arched an eyebrow at him.

"Dangerous past time Jethro." She smiled.

"I know…but I was thinking, dinner tonight? I'm buying." He cocked his head, his arms crossed in front of him whilst he waited for her answer. She pretended to deliberate longer than necessary.

"Well, if you're buying…" He cracked a grin and left, leaving her door open. She sighed, not knowing which was more annoying, him leaving it wide open or him slamming it. She smiled at Cynthia as she discreetly shut the door, shooting Jen a sympathetic look.

* * *

The day had been long and she kicked off her shoes the minute she walked through the front door. Being away from work for 3 weeks had made her job, when she returned, interesting to say the least. She frowned slightly as she picked up the scent of steak au poivre coming from the kitchen. She leant against the door frame and watched him move around her kitchen. He seemed unaware of her presence as he opened drawers and cupboards, trying to find plates. She smirked as he opened the glass cupboard and cursed under his breath.

"Second cupboard on you right." She said, unable to bear the torture any longer. He whipped around and ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

"There is no logic here Jen," He pointed a knife at her; "You need to sort that out." She walked up to him and took the knife from his hand, placing it on the side board and pulled him towards her. He came willingly.

"There is logic, it's my logic." She said, enjoying the feeling of his hands running up and down her back.

"Aaah, that will be why it makes no sense." He said, before lowering his head and pulling her in for a kiss. She accepted it with pleasure, running her hands through his hair.

"Hey…no using your feminine wiles to distract me." He said, pushing her away, she grinned at him, for a brief moment seeing the slightly more carefree man she knew in Paris. He turned around and she snaked her arms around his waist.

"I seem to remember you promising me to show me how much stamina you have, old man." She teased.

"We are not skipping dinner Jen, I'm hungry and I've worked hard on this." He disentangled himself from her.

"Worked hard?" She laughed, dodging the asparagus spear that came flying her way.

"We're eating…so sit."

She sat obediently and spent the meal eating suggestively, practically deep throating the asparagus, looking at him through lowered eyelids, running her hand up his thigh, loving the way his muscles jerked under her hand, ignoring his warning growls and the way he gripped her hand. She smirked when he let her hand roam a little too far up and she felt how distracting her behavior was being. He eventually lost his resolve and pulled her from her seat, causing a little squeak of surprise from Jen.

He dragged her up the stairs and all but through her down on the bed, pulling his shirt over his head as he advanced at her. She smirked again and slowly licked her lips, tugging her buttons of her blouse open far too slowly for his liking. He lost patience and ripped at the shirt, tossing it carelessly aside, and pulling her to him, loving the feeling of her hot body plastered against his.

His hands took on a life of their own as he explored her body. It had been far too long since he had lost himself in her body and even if it killed him, he was going to take it slowly tonight…she moaned against his mouth and he decided that slowly could wait.

He undid the buttons of her pants, pushed her backwards and pulled them off. His hands trailed down her thighs as he did, earning himself another moan from Jen. He undid the fly on his jeans and pushed them down his hips, standing up quickly to rid himself of the nuisance material. His boxers came next and he straddled her, lowering his head to her stomach, kissing the soft yet still firm skin. He mouth moved upwards, eliciting yet more hard to ignore sounds from Jen. She arched her back as he reached her breasts and he took the opportunity to reach behind her and deftly unclasp her bra, pulling it off her and once again throwing it aside.

Free from the constraints of clothes, his eyes drunk in every last aspect. Her small waist, her perfect breasts, her milky white thighs. If she had been any less sure of her self she would have felt embarrassed by the scrutiny Gibbs was bestowing upon her, but she had always known what effect she had on him.

She reached up to him and pulled him down, relishing in his comforting weight, his kissed her deeply, his hand running down her side and up her thigh which she raised to wrap around his waist, bringing his hips closer. He teased her, bringing her to the edge with his fingers and pulling back until she breathed out his name. He lifted his hips and slid into her, closing his eyes, as his body grew re-accustomed to the feel of her surrounding him. She moved slightly underneath him, silently begging him to move. He pulled back and thrust deeply into her, she arched her hips towards him, trying to bring him deeper. She clutched at his shoulders as he began to move faster, she bit her lip as she fell over the edge and she held him close as he followed her.

It was only when the blood had stopped roaring in her ears that she realized that her ribs hadn't hurt once.

She lay with his arms wrapped around her, listening to his heartbeat even out under her ear. She trailed her fingers through his hair, drawing circles on his chest.

"Thank you." She said, and the tone of her voice made him realize that she was thanking him for so much more than the dinner.

"For what?" He asked. She smiled up at him, and continued drawing small circles on his chest.

"For dinner…for letting me argue when I needed it…for looking out for me even when I didn't want it…" She trailed off, wanting to say so much more but not being able to find the right words. His arms tightened around her.

"You're welcome."

* * *

_What happened to Kort I hear you say? Well, I am planning a follow up…I know, I know, this coming from the girl who claimed that she didn't like doing multi chapter fics, so Aly and Jonah, you can put your pitchforks away! _

_Thank you everyone who has given me support through this, Ellie, Aly, Jonah, Em, Morgan to name a few…sorry if I missed anyone out, but you all rock! _

_V!_

_xox_


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